Global Courant 2023-05-15 02:04:01
Tensions are rising due to differing reports about which presidential candidate was leading in a razor-sharp election.
Istanbul, Turkey – As Turkey’s election night progressed, both sides claimed they were ahead in the counting of votes and argued over the presentation of the ballots.
The opposition directed its complaints against the data published by the state-run news agency Anadolu, claiming it delayed the count to put their candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu behind President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Anadolu’s figures shortly before 23:00 (20:00 GMT) showed that Erdogan, who is seeking another five-year term after 20 years in power, is at 50.13 percent enough to win him the presidential race in the first round and avoid a second round.
Kilicdaroglu, the candidate of a six-member alliance led by his Republican People’s Party (CHP), stood at 44.09 percent.
However, figures from the Anka news agency showed that Erdogan’s lead was much narrower, with the president at 48.87 percent and Kilicdaroglu at 45.38 percent of the national vote.
Anadolu then updated his data to report Erdogan’s vote share at 49.94 percent.
It brought Kilicdaroglu to 44.4 percent, narrowing the gap between the two front runners. With Erdogan falling below the more than 50 percent mark needed to win the election outright, the chances of a runoff within two weeks are greater.
A supporter reacts during a rally at the headquarters of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) as voters await the election results in Ankara, Turkey on May 14, 2023 (Yves Herman/Reuters)
Earlier, two senior CHP figures – Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and his Ankara counterpart Mansur Yavas – heavily criticized Anadolu’s role in the election.
“We are dealing with a new case from Anadolu Agency,” said Imamoglu. “The reputation of the agency is below zero. They should not be trusted. Anadolu’s data is null and void.”
Yavas added: “They are misleading our nation by using the ballot boxes that work for them,” he said. “They are not ashamed either. They have no credibility…According to the data we have, our president Kemal Kilicdaroglu is ahead.”
Omer Celik, spokesman for Erdogan’s AK party, accused the mayors of trying to appropriate the ballot paper.
“They made a very serious statement,” he said. “They are attacking Anadolu Agency and announcing an election result. This is a dictatorial approach. It is an attempt to assassinate the national will.”
Ondeyiz.
— Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu (@kilicdarogluk) May 14, 2023
Kilicdaroglu just kept it simple and previously tweeted, “We’re ahead.”
The Turkish opposition has accused Anadolu of manipulating the timing of her results in previous elections, claiming she always shows an early lead for the AK Party and slows down vote numbers in areas where the opposition is strong.
In a statement on Twitter, Erdogan called on his party operatives to keep an eye on the ballot boxes until the results are officially announced — a refrain heard more often by the opposition on election nights.
Meanwhile, the race’s third candidate, Sinan Ogan of the right-wing ATA Alliance, appeared to garner more votes than expected. Both Anadolu and Anka showed him at over 5 percent, a hefty feat for a relatively unknown figure.
